Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

If you voted for Trump, you don’t get to speak about ethics, morals, or rule of law.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

“When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’re gonna use it.”

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

Beware of advice from anyone for whom Democrats are “they” and not “we.”

Republicans do not pay their debts.

We still have time to mess this up!

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Giving up is unforgivable.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Human rights are not a matter of opinion!

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

You are here: Home / Breathtaking Criminality and Lawlessness / Dems Fighting Back / Excellent Read: ‘This is Democrats’ Masterclass in Resistance’

Excellent Read: ‘This is Democrats’ Masterclass in Resistance’

by | 72 Comments

This post is in: , ,

26 hours and 33 failed amendment votes: This is Democrats’ masterclass in resistance www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202…

[image or embed]

— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty.bsky.social) May 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM

Commentor Geminid reminded me I wanted to share a gift link to Karen Tumulty’s latest Washington Post column:

For a party that has been shut out of power in Washington, what happened this week in Room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building was a masterclass in resistance.

Over more than 26 sleepless hours that began on Tuesday afternoon and continued into Wednesday, Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee pounded the panel’s Republican majority with 33 amendments, most of which were aimed at stripping the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” containing politically toxic cuts to Medicaid. In the hallway outside, police arrested more than two dozen protesters, many of whom were in wheelchairs.

Every one of the amendments failed, as Democrats knew they would. But their coordinated assault on the centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda framed a powerful narrative that is shaping up to be the party’s most potent message heading into next year’s midterm elections.…

The marathon session laid bare the Republicans’ vulnerability on Medicaid. They claim to be rooting out waste and fraud from the system. But, in its essence, the bill amounts to a declaration of who should be deemed worthy of health care in this country.

The GOP’s twin arguments — that it is making the program more efficient and exercising fiscal responsibility — are also weakened by the fact that the savings the party hopes to achieve would go toward extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts that are due to expire at the end of the year…

In all, the changes envisioned by the bill would mean that by 2034, an additional 13.7 million Americans would be without health coverage, according to an estimate by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

In the committee’s meeting room, Democrats put names and stories that number — such as a 23-year-old college student with cerebral palsy named Sasha, who was in the audience with her mother.

Though the bill would not cut her benefits directly, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-California) said, Sasha “could be buried in red tape, forced to navigate paperwork and eligibility checks.”

She also noted that Sasha is a constituent of committee member Rep. Tom Kean, a Republican from a swing district in New Jersey.

“Democrats stand with you, Sasha, in opposing any Medicaid cuts,” Barragán said. “We need just four Republicans to join us. I hope we can find them, and I hope one is your congressmember.”…

Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats came ready, and while they didn’t have the numbers to win any of the votes they forced, their tenacity warns of what lies ahead in the battle over Medicaid. Republicans will likely wish it was a fight they had never started.

Reader Interactions

72Comments

  1. 1.

    gratuitous

    Bravo to the House Democrats. No, none of the amendments passed, but holding things up even though the gesture was ultimately futile, is something Republicans do all the time, and their base loves them for it.

    If you have a Democratic representative, drop them an e-mail supporting their efforts. We want them to develop their resistance muscles, and encouragement from constituents helps with their commitment. We rightfully complain when Democrats don’t do (or appear to do) something in opposition. Let’s give ’em a little positive reinforcement.

    If you have a Republican representative, drop them an e-mail asking them why they’re in favor of handing more money to multi-billionaires at the expense of our own citizens. They won’t like that framing, but tough toenails, says I.

  5. 5.

    Jeffro

    @Princess:

    Democrats in array. Nice to see Tumulty reporting on it.

    YUP!

    Democrats in array and The Party of No Standards Whatsoever in near-complete disarray.  They are starting to lose, bigly, and I think some of the smarter ones among them (I DIDN’T SAY ‘SMART’ I SAID ‘SMARTER‘) must be sensing it.

    It’s not going to get any better for them from here on out.

    Just a crazy old dementia patient, tweeting away about Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift…

  7. 7.

    frosty

    My Republican rep, Lloyd Smucker, voted against the budget, just like I asked him too! Of course, he waited until it was already voted down and said that it was a procedural vote so the bill could be brought up again. Nevertheless, I guess I should call and thank him for doing the right thing even though it was the wrong reason.

    The people who answer the phone don’t ask for my address and details any more – I guess I’ve called enough that my phone number is recognized as a constituent.

  12. 12.

    oldgold

    Here is a play for the democratic playbook. Plaster this everywhere:

    “In 2029, Americans making less than $30,000 will actually pay more in taxes under the GOP’s plan than under current law. Americans making less than $15,000 — the poorest of the poor — will pay 53% more in taxes than they do now as their average tax rate jumps from 3.3% to 5.1%. Meanwhile, households making over a million will pay 6.4% less in taxes (totaling an estimated $74 billion collectively), as their average rate falls from 30.8% to 28.7%.”

  13. 13.

    TONYG

    Tom Kean Junior of New Jersey.  His father had been the governor of New Jersey throughout the eighties, and had been a “moderate” Republican when such a thing used to exist.  Now Junior is a right-wing asshole voting to destroy Medicaid.  Junior did not have to do this.  He comes from a rich and powerful family, and he represents a district in New Jersey, not some shit-hole in Alabama.   He is a good example of how the Republican Party has become a right-wing cult, with true believers and opportunists happily going along with the greed and cruelty.  His father is still alive (at age 90).  I hope that he disowns his asshole son.

  18. 18.

    Marcopolo

    This was a good read.  It’s a little infuriating that good information about actual things that are happening tends to be overwhelmed by crap news which works both to keep people ill-informed and depressed & makes us less likely to jump into the fight.

    Along those lines, and a little OT, I just saw this amazing video piece which fights back against what RFKjr & our current gov’t is doing to destroy our healthcare.  Uses the long journey to eradicate smallpox as a foundational argument in what we can (and should) accomplish if we put our minds (and resources) towards solving a problem.

    It really wowed me.  Please give it a vie & share.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ybVZ7vluYhQ

    edited to add:  there are some truly horrifying images of smallpox victims which shocked me but I took in stride in helping to show how awful it is.  Others might not want to see them,

  19. 19.

    frosty

    @RevRick: ​I’m not sure who the recalcitrant ones are. The NO votes? So if they vote it down, which they did, Smucker voted NO so it can be brought back up another time and then maybe passed?

    Yeah, right vote, wrong reason.

  20. 20.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Baud: I don’t think that the headline is very clear as it sounds more like it’s saying that the Democrats’ masterclass is one of failed attempts at something something something.

    But obviously YMMV.

    And I, too, clicked through to infinitesimally nudge the algorithm.

  22. 22.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @BlueGuitarist: I read through the Bluesky thread; thanks for the link.

    I guess it’s unremarkable, but why can’t “experts” use plain language every once in a while?

    NYT reports: “a wide range of tax experts” including the Penn-Wharton model found “many Americans who make less than $51,000 a year would see their after-tax income fall as a result of the Republican proposal”

    They can’t just write “Taxes will decrease the most for Americans with net worth above $14 million, but taxes will increase for Americans who make less than $51,000 a year.”

    I’m pretty sure that that is the gist of their entire set of analyses.

  23. 23.

    columbusqueen

    OT, I’m here at Plank’s with a big table & awaiting everybody. Time to have fun & talk turkey about turning Repubs into road kill!

  24. 24.

    Seanly

    Good, I am happy to see Democrats fighting. They can’t stop the bill but they can show that they tried.

  28. 28.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Baud: I have a cunning plan..

    ETA: An even more accurate synopsis:

    “The Republican plan is to decrease taxes for Americans with net worth above $14 million, and to increase taxes for Americans who make less than $51,000 a year.”

  29. 29.

    Steve LaBonne

    @Marcopolo: The Trump propaganda mlll works overtime to produce distractions whenever events threaten to make Trump look bad, and the media keep falling for it.

  30. 30.

    Another Scott

    ICYMI, Fritschner thread on tax hearing yesterday.

    It’s there in black and white that they will raise taxes on the poor to give giant tax cuts to the 1%. And that’s before the cuts to Medicaid, gutting the Biden credits, the tariffs, and all the rest.

    He’s right that Democrats need to run hard on this stuff, along with fighting all the other horrible things that they are doing.

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  31. 31.

    Pittsburgh Mike

    If this were truly a master class in resistance, shouldn’t I have heard about it somewhere more mainstream than here?

  38. 38.

    BlueGuitarist

    @Chief Oshkosh:

    Fritschner suggests re the Republican who narrowly flipped PA-08 (Scranton):
    “Rob Bresnahan voted to give himself and other millionaires tax cuts while cutting Medicaid and raising taxes for working Pennsylvanians.”

    Rob?
    Red maga Rob B. keeps rob rob robbing along?

  40. 40.

    Jackie

    Let the MAGA swatting and the FFOTUS phone calls threatening careers, implied death threats to family members begin! (I wish I was joking, but these actions have been going on since Day One of this administration.)

    New York Times: “The handful of lawmakers who blocked their own party’s sprawling domestic policy measure from advancing out of a key committee on Friday acted out of a fundamentally different view of federal spending and debt than the rest of the G.O.P. They are single-mindedly focused on slashing deficits by restructuring the government to dramatically scale back social programs, whatever the political consequences.”

    And:

    According to a report from Politico’s Rachel Bade, the president is furious with the House Budget Committee for failing to reach an agreement on his “big beautiful” bill which led to a flurry of attacks from Trump on Truth Social as he returned from his trip in the Middle East on Friday.

    The report noted, House Speaker Mike Johnson is on the spot, pointing out, “This has mostly been Johnson’s problem to solve, and he and other GOP leaders have tried to be sensitive to not pulling Trump in too early to fix their problems.”

    *snip*

    “My assumption is Trump’s going to get involved — I don’t know what that looks like yet,” said one GOP aide with the report adding Trump is not going to “be happy” that he has to twist the arms of the balking GOP lawmakers who are kept him from coming home to a win for his administration.

    As one Trump insider put it, “Voters gave them a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass a good bill. And for those who vote against, they should know their careers are in jeopardy.”

    You can read more here.

  42. 42.

    Baud

    @BlueGuitarist:

    I just wish people would admit they want to serve the rich, instead of being dishonest about what the Republicans are all about and not believing us when we tell them.

  48. 48.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Baud: Good god, he could literally be at the one on Parsons Ave. instead of the one on High and Whittier.

  51. 51.

    Archon

    The lack of respect, bordering on contempt Trump and the Republican Party have for working class economic interests is so profound it will be hard for future generations to process how the GOP was able to win the support of a near majority of voters.

  53. 53.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Baud: The Parsons Ave neighborhood wasn’t a real good one when I lived in the r area, but it’s probably gentrified by now so you shouldn’t worry too much.

  54. 54.

    Jackie

    @BlueGuitarist:

    meanwhile, the Chip Roy gang are just parroting bs talking points from Koch and Leonard Leo (who’s apparently corrupting more than the judiciary)

    Who among us is surprised? It’s gonna be UUG-A-LLY in the days ahead.

  55. 55.

    Geminid

    @Spanky: Gumming up the works is good. Perhaps even more valuable is the use of amendments to highlight the most harmful individual provisions in the bill, and then forcing the Republicans to go on the record by voting on them.

  56. 56.

    Archon

    @Baud:

    To the point where voters supported the party that raised their taxes and cut their health care for tax cuts to the rich?

     

    No, they won’t.

  59. 59.

    Baud

    Mandalorians are wise

    Pedro Pascal on America’s political chaos: “Fear is the way they win, for one. So keep telling the stories and keep expressing yourself and keep fighting to be who you are. And I don’t know, f*ck the people that try to make you scared y’know and fight back. […] Don’t let them win.”

  66. 66.

    Geo Wilcox

    @Baud: I’d like to serve them up Hannibal Lecter style. You know a few choice cuts with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”

  69. 69.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @trollhattan: No, the one they are at has the better location and is better for gatherings, but the other had better pizza iirc.  Sometimes science is wrong.

  70. 70.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I was lol. I walked around the building to the front and went passed the bar. Didn’t realize the main area was in the back from the parking lot

  71. 71.

    Ruckus

    @Steve LaBonne:

    It’s not that they fall for it, they are often on the same side and don’t want their boy, man, whatever he is, to be seen exactly as who and what he is. They know, but either they are on his side or are exactly like him. I’d bet it’s about 50/50.

    Printing a daily newspaper costs money. And with things like we are doing here, typing and reading, getting more coverage than a city newspaper does (hey it’s a possibility!) first because it’s cheaper and one doesn’t have to go out and actually find the paper. (Long, long, long ago used to be a paperboy. Very local, smallish town paper, long gone now, delivered by walking down the street and throwing the folded paper at least semi towards the house. I believe I was 11-12 yrs old. Even then my time was worth more than the pay. (and that ain’t saying much…) That newspaper wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on. But that was over 60 years ago.

  72. 72.

    Melancholy Jaques

    Pretty good turnout for the demonstration here at Elon’s SpaceX. It was organized by the Los Angeles teachers union, but there are people from all over. I would say overall the mood is cheerful solidarity rather than outrage. We won the last two strikes, so we have confidence.

Comments are closed.